Marin voters face taxing ballot: 21 measures

That hand in your pocket could be from a local official reaching for your wallet.

Marin's Nov. 2 ballot includes a tax for just about everybody as officials scramble for cash to pay for paramedic, fire, city, school and transportation services amid a recession that has drained agency budgets.

Officials have crafted the longest local ballot measure program ever, with 21 proposals that include 17 tax measures, most of them to pay for life-saving paramedic services in political jurisdictions across Marin. Four years ago, when various paramedic taxes also were up for renewal, there were 17 measures on the ballot.

"It's going to be an enormous ballot," said Registrar of Voters Elaine Ginnold, noting voters face local races plus at least nine state propositions and a host of state races as well. "It's a record for local measures."

The ballot includes a half-cent sales tax boost to pay for city services in Novato, a $41 million bond issue for school programs in the Ross Valley, a 50 percent fire tax hike in West Marin, and a $10 countywide auto registration tax to finance transportation programs, as well as competing measures requiring a public vote on a water district desalination plant.

Although paramedic service routinely gets the blessing of voters, veteran watchdog Ron Marinoff of Lucas Valley has raised questions in San Rafael, suggesting the county grand jury determine why it costs city taxpayers twice as much for paramedic service as it does citizens elsewhere in Marin. While Ross Valley taxpayers face measures boosting annual paramedic costs to $51.

Advertisement

50 per parcel, San Rafael area voters face a $108 paramedic tax, up $23. Voters in County Service Area 19, an unincorporated San Rafael area district that ended the fiscal year with $6.3 million set aside for a new fire station, face a $108 paramedic tax as well.

San Rafael-area Supervisor Susan Adams has asked county staff to provide a report on the "discrepancies in costs."

But Greg Knell, a San Rafael school trustee heading up the drive to pass the city paramedic tax, said it's a no-brainer: San Rafael provides more paramedic service, with 18 paramedics on duty at all times, including one on each fire truck. Ross Valley has two on duty at all times, and can call on additional help. San Rafael has a bigger staff, more ambulances and makes three times as many emergency calls, Knell added.

Four years ago, when paramedic services in the Ross Valley cost $39, voters approved a boost to a maximum of $48. The current tax is just $42.50.

Holding down costs resonates with taxpayer advocate Jody Morales of San Rafael, who believes officials are "loading everything they can on the taxpayer's back" instead of cutting pay and perks for top aides, replacing rich public pensions with modest private-sector plans, curbing use of consultants, consolidating agencies including school districts, and taking related steps to make ends meet with money at hand.

"I'm willing to pay taxes for provided services when there is no other recourse," Morales said.

Here's a brief look at measures on Marin's Nov. 2 ballot.

Measure A

$41 million Ross Valley schools bond to replace portables with permanent classrooms, and repair and buy "equipment, sites and facilities."

Measure B

Levies an annual $10 Marin auto registration fee to finance road, senior transit and related programs, as well as school crossing guards and projects "supporting a cleaner environment." Proposition 21 on the state ballot would impose an additional $18 auto fee to help pay for state park programs.

Measure C

Continues Corte Madera's parcel tax for paramedic and emergency medical services at a rate of $60 per residence and $60 per 1,000 square feet of floor area for nonresidential uses for fiscal 2011-12, increasing $5 a year to a maximum $75 per residence and $75 per 1,000 square feet of floor area for nonresidential uses in 2014-15.

Measure D

Continues Fairfax paramedic parcel tax at $42.50, rising to a maximum of $51.50 in the fourth year. The tax per residence, or per 1,500 square feet of structure of each developed parcel in nonresidential use, is in addition to ambulance fees charged to insurance providers.

Measure E

Continues Larkspur paramedic tax at $42.50, rising to a maximum of $51.50 in the fourth year. The tax per residence or per 1,500 square feet of structure of each developed parcel in nonresidential use, is in addition to ambulance fees charged to insurance providers.

Measure F

Enacts a half-cent sales tax hike in Novato for five years to "offset or prevent" additional budget cuts of city services.

Measure G

Continues Ross paramedic tax at $42.50, rising to a maximum of $51.50 over four years. The tax per residence or per 1,500 square feet of structure of each developed parcel in nonresidential use, is in addition to ambulance fees charged to insurance providers.

Measure H

Continues San Anselmo's paramedic tax at $42.50, rising to a maximum of $51.50 in the fourth year. The tax per residence or per 1,500 square feet of structure of each developed parcel in nonresidential use, is in addition to ambulance fees charged to insurance providers.

Measure I

Boosts paramedic taxes in San Rafael up to $23 annually, to maximum of $108 per residence, and up to 3 cents per square foot on nonresidential structures.

Measure J

In County Service Area 13 in Marinwood, boosts paramedic services $23 a year to a maximum of $108 per residence.

Measure K

In County Service Area 19 in San Rafael, boosts paramedic services $23 a year to a maximum of $108 per residence.

Measure L

In County Service Area 27 in unincorporated Ross Valley, continues special paramedic tax at $42.50, rising to $51.50 in the fourth year. The tax per residence or 1,500 square feet of structure-developed parcel in nonresidential use, is in addition to ambulance fees charged to insurance providers.

Measure M

In West Marin's County Service Area 28, boosts the $40 paramedic tax by $24 annually.

Measure N

Boosts the $76 per parcel fire tax in West Marin's County Service Area 31 by $38.

Measure O

Continues Kentfield paramedic tax of $42.50, rising to $51.50 over four years. The tax per residence, or 1,500 square feet of structure developed parcel in nonresidential use, is in addition to ambulance fees charged to insurance providers.

Measure P

Measure Q

In Marinwood Community Services District, boosts paramedic taxes $23 a year to a maximum of $108 per residence.

Measure R

In Sleepy Hollow, continues paramedic tax of $42.50, rising to a maximum of $51.50 over four years. The tax per residence or per 1,500 square feet of structure-developed parcel in nonresidential use, is in addition to ambulance fees charged to insurance providers.

Measure S

Marin Municipal Water District measure: "Shall an ordinance be adopted requiring voter approval before the Marin Municipal Water District approves constructing, or financing the construction of, a desalination facility?"

Measure T

Citizens' desalination facility initiative: "Shall an ordinance be adopted requiring voter approval before the Marin Municipal Water District approves, authorizes or undertakes the construction of a facility to desalinate water from San Francisco Bay, or other water body, or appropriates, authorizes expenditures for, issues revenue or other types of bonds, or approves other funding mechanisms intended to pay for such construction, or takes any steps towards approving any contract relating to the planning or construction of any such facility?"

Measure U

Sets appropriations limit in Stinson Beach Water District at $961,250, allowing expenditure of tax funds.